Synthesis of lactic acid–Zr(IV) phosphate nanocomposite ion exchanger for green remediation

Lactic acid–Zr(IV) phosphate nanocomposite (LA/ZPNC) ion exchanger was synthesised by sol-gel method. The nanocomposite ion exchanger was characterized by different techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA/DSC). LA/ZPNC was employed for different physicochemical properties such as ion exchange capacity, elution behaviour, effect of eluent concentration, pH titration and thermal stability. The ion exchange capacity of LA/ZPNC was higher as compared to their inorganic counterpart. pH results indicate the bifunctional nature of nanocomposite. A degradation efficiency of 89.47 % was attained in 4 h of illumination. The distribution coefficient (K _d) studies of LA/ZPNC ion exchanger were investigated for eight different metal ions and found more selective for Al³⁺ with higher K _d value. It was explored for photocatalytic study of methylene blue under solar illumination.     

Enhanced thermoelectric properties of PEDOT/PSS/Te composite films treated with H<Subscript>2</Subscript>SO<Subscript>4</Subscript>

Firstly, tellurium (Te) nanorods with a high Seebeck coefficient have been integrated into a conducting polymer PEDOT/PSS to form PEDOT/PSS/Te composite films. The Seebeck coefficient of the PEDOT/PSS/Te (90 wt.%) composite films is ~191 μV/K, which is about 13 times greater than that of pristine PEDOT/PSS. Then, H₂SO₄ treatment has been used to further tune the thermoelectric properties of the composite films by adjusting the doping level and increasing the carrier concentration. After the acid treatment, the electrical conductivity of the composite films has increased from 0.22 to 1613 S/cm due to the removal of insulating PSS and the structural rearrangement of PEDOT. An optimized power factor of 42.1 μW/mK² has been obtained at room temperature for a PEDOT/PSS/Te (80 wt.%) sample, which is about ten times larger than that of the untreated PEDOT/PSS/Te composite film.     

Enhanced thermoelectric performance of PEDOT: PSS films via ionic liquid post-treatment

Thermoelectric(TE)energy harvesting can effectively convert waste heat into electricity,which is a crucial technology to solve energy concerns.As a promising candidate for energy conversion,poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)has gained significant attention owing to its easy doping,high transparency,and solution processability.However,the TE performance of PEDOT:PSS still needs to be further enhanced.Herein,different approaches have been applied for tuning the TE properties:(i)direct dipping PEDOT:PSS thin films in ionic liquid;(ii)post-treatment of the films with concentrated sulfuric acid(H₂SO₄),and then dipping in ionic liquid.Besides,the same bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide(TFSI)anion and different cation salts,including 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium(EMIM+)and lithium(Li+),are selected to study the influence of varying cation types on the TE properties of PEDOT:PSS.The Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of the PEDOT:PSS film treated with H2SO4EMIM:TFSI increase simultaneously,and the resulting maximum power factor is 46.7μW·m^-1·K^-2,which may be attributed to the ionic liquid facilitating the rearrangement of the molecular chain of PEDOT.The work provides a reference for the development of organic films with high TE properties.     

PEDOT:PSS Schottky contacts on annealed ZnO films

Polycrystalline ZnO and ITO films on SiO₂ substrates are prepared by radio frequency (RF) reactive magnetron sputtering. Schottky contacts are fabricated on ZnO films by spin coating with a high conducting polymer, poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as the metal electrodes. The current-voltage measurements for samples on unannealed ZnO films exhibit rectifying behaviours with a barrier height of 0.72 eV (n=1.93). The current for the sample is improved by two orders of magnitude at 1 V after annealing ZnO film at 850 ℃, whose barrier height is 0.75 eV with an ideality factor of 1.12. X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy are used to study the properties of the PEDOT:PSS/ZnO/ITO/SiO₂. The results are useful for applications such as metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors and UV photodetectors.     

Asymmetric effect of (000$\bar{1}$) and (0001) facets on surface and interface properties of CdS single crystal

A different effect of (0001) and (000[`1]\bar{1}) crystal facets of the cadmium sulfide (CdS) wurtzite structure terminated with Cd and S atoms, respectively, was observed in respect to the properties of the crystal surface and interface with metal or organic semiconductor contacts. In addition to the different surface morphology, a bare CdS single crystal showed different features in photoluminescence from the Cd- and S-terminated surfaces. Different adhesive behavior of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS) films in respect to the Cd- and S-terminated facets of the crystal has also been found. Photovoltaic properties of hybrid CdS/PEDOT:PSS heterojunctions have been shown to be sensitive in respect to the crystal facet used. Thin films of aluminum (Al) equally deposited onto the opposite crystal facets revealed much smaller sheet resistance on the sulfur facet than on the cadmium one, which has been assigned to the difference in both chemical interaction with the surface atoms and surface morphology. Current–voltage characteristics of an apparently symmetric Al/CdS/Al structure with Al electrodes deposited onto the opposite crystal facets showed asymmetric behavior depending on the bias direction applied to the Cd or S-terminated facet, with the barrier for electrons at the Al/S-terminated interface, respectively.     

Conductivity of Composite Films Based on Conductive Polymer PEDOT:PSS,Graphene Oxide and Nanoparticles TiO2 for Contact Layers of Perovskite Photovoltaic Structures

Physics of the Solid State - The electrical properties of composite films based on conductive polymer PEDOT: PSS, graphene oxide (GO), and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2) (PEDOT: PSS–...     

Effects of poly(ethylene glycol) on electrical conductivity of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(styrenesulfonic acid) film

A series of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(styrenesulfonic acid) composite thin films with prescribed concentrations of poly(ethylene glycol) were prepared. The PEDOT–PSS pristine film and PEDOT–PSS/PEG films were studied using four-probe method, photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The electrical conductivity of PEDOT–PSS/PEG hybrid films was found to be enhanced compared to the PEDOT–PSS pristine film, depending on the PEG concentration and molecular weight. XPS analysis and AFM results showed that PEG induces the phase separation between the PEDOT–PSS conducting particles and the excessive PSSNa shell. Simultaneously PEG may form hydrogen bond with sulfonic groups of PSSH, and hence weaken the electrostatic interactions between PEDOT cationic chains and PSS anionic chains. These resulted in the creation of a better conduction pathway among PEDOT–PSS particles, attributed to the improvement of conductivity.     

Poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene): Poly(styrene sulfonate)的共振拉曼光谱研究

通过拉曼光谱方法分别对PEDOT:PSS掺杂和去掺杂状态进行了详细分析. 实验结果表明, 去掺杂的PEDOT:PSS由于其在激发波长附近的吸收增强而引起了共振效应, 拉曼信号得到大幅度增强, 可见, 以633 nm(He-Ne)激光为激发波长的拉曼光谱是研究PEDOT:PSS掺杂状态的有效方法. 此外, 显微拉曼光谱也是分析聚合物发光二极管器件内各层材料的有效手段.     

Near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) of model compounds for the humic acid/actinide ion interaction

To understand spectral features of humic acid (HA) C 1s-near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) with and without metal ion complexation, a set of model compounds is investigated. Halogenated benzoic acids and anthranilic acid are examined to demonstrate the effect of electron withdrawing groups on the C 1s-NEXAFS spectra of complex organic acids, including HA. The peak positions for aromatic and carboxylic groups in these spectra are in agreement with common assignments. The spectral position of the peak for substituted aromatic carbon shifts with increasing electronegativity of the substituent to higher photon energies. Polyacrylic acid (PAA) and different PAA metal ion complexes are investigated as model substances for metal cation complexation by HA. Tb(III)-, Zr(IV)- and U(VI)–PAA exhibit general spectral signatures previously observed for the PAA/Eu(III)–PAA system. For these different metal cations, similar spectral changes and distinct variations in peak intensities are observed going from the uncomplexed to the metal-loaded macromolecules. These spectral changes are comparable to those for U(VI)- and Th(IV)–HA systems.     

Chemical synthesis and characterization of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/tungsten composite materials in the presence of ionic liquids

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/tungsten (PEDOT/W) composites were prepared by an in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene in different ionic liquids; 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMIMBF₄), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIMPF₆), 1-butyl- 3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (BMIMTFSI), and 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (BMPTFSI). These polymer/metal hybrids (PEDOT/W) were subsequently characterized for their structural, crystalline, thermal and morphological properties by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The significant enhancement in properties can be attributed to the nanoscale particle size and uniform size distribution of PEDOT/W and the synergistic effect between the inorganic nano-W and organic PEDOT material.     

Characterization of the PEDOT:PSS/KDP mixture on a flexible substrates and the use in pressure sensing devices

In this work, the mixture poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) with monobasic potassium phosphate (KDP), a piezoelectric salt, was studied as a novel material in the fabrication of a low cost, easy-to-make, flexible pressure sensing device. Firstly a theoretical study was carried out, followed by an experimental study where the mixture PEDOT:PSS and KDP was deposited in a flexible polyester substrate and dried. Afterwards, XRD analysis and impulse voltage measures were performed. The results showed that the KDP does not react chemically with PEDOT:PSS and this mixture acts directly responding to the pressure applied on the sample.     

Modulating the Electrochromic Performances of Transmissive and Reflective Devices Using N,N-Dimethyl Formamide Modified Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene)/Poly(Styrene Sulfonate) Blend as Active Layers

As one of the important factors which affect the properties and applications of conducting polymers, the electrical conductivity of a poly(3,4-ethylenedoxy-thiophene)/ poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) blend was adjusted by using various amount of an organic solvent (N,N-dimethyl formamide, DMF) as an additive. The conductivities of PEDOT: PSS thin films can be increased dramatically, from 1.0 S to 32.1 S cm^?1, with a 2/1 volume ratio of PEDOT: PSS/DMF loading after totally removing the organic solvent by annealing the film at 80° for 48 h in a vacuum oven. The optical contrasts of transmissive and reflective devices assembled using DMF-modified PEDOT: PSS as active layers exhibited a close relationship with the conductivity of PEDOT: PSS. Interestingly, high conductivity of PEDOT: PSS enhanced the contrast of a transmissive device, while high conductivity of PEDOT: PSS decreased the contrasts of a reflective device. The underlying reason is related to the different electrochromic mechanisms of these two types of device configurations.     

Band bending at the conducting polymer/indium tin oxide interfaces with and without ultraviolet treatment

In this study, the effect of ultraviolet treatment on the band bending at the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(4-styrenesulfonate)/indium tin oxide (PEDOT:PSS/ITO) interfaces were researched. The authors suggested that ultraviolet treatment could lead to a reduction in the band bending at the PEDOT:PSS/ITO interface, owing to the removal of carbon contamination at the ITO surfaces and a decrease in the number of the trap-states at the PEDOT:PSS/ITO interface.     

Thermoelectric Performance of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):Poly(styrenesulfonate)

Thermoelectric (TE) performances are systematically investigated for the pellets of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) with different organic additives and heating process as organic TE materials. The electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity versus temperature are determined, respectively. It is found that there is no distinct change for the Seebeck coefficient among each sample with the additions of dimethyl sulfoxide and ethylene glycol. The thermal conductivity measured in a wide range of temperature indicates that the PEDOT:PSS pellet have an extremely low value. The highest figure of merit (Z_T= 1.75×10^-3) is observed at 270K among the PEDOT:PSS pellets.     

Improvement in performance of organic light-emitting devices by inclusion of multi-wall carbon nanotubes

Poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was modified by different concentrations of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), and the nanocomposites of PEDOT:PSS and MWNTs were firstly used as hole-injection layer in fabrication of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) by using a double-layer structure with hole-injection layer of doped PEDOT:PSS and emitting/electron transport layer of tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq₃). PEDOT:PSS solution doped with MWNTs was spin-coated on clean polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate with indium tin oxide (ITO). It was found that the electroluminescence (EL) intensity of the OLEDs were greatly improved by using PEDOT:PSS doped with MWNTs as hole-injection layer which might have resulted from the hole-injection ability improvement of the nanocomposites. Higher luminescence intensity and lower turn-on voltage were obtained by these devices and the luminance intensity obtained from the device with the hole-injection layer of PEDOT:PSS doped by 0.4 wt.% MWNTs was almost threefolds of that without doping.     

Fractality in the neuron axonal topography of the human brain based on 3-D diffusion MRI

We report our results on the effect of incorporation of inorganic fullerene like nanoparticles (IF) and inorganic nanotubes (INT) of WS₂ into hybrid LED device structures. To disperse into a uniform fashion, the semiconducting INT/IF WS₂ NTs were functionalized with SDS (sodium dodecylsulphate). The IF/INT WS₂ nanotubes were used in combination with PEDOT:PSS and P3HT to realize the following LED device structures: ITO/(PEDOT:PSS):(WS₂:SDS)/P3HT/LiF-Al; ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT/WS₂:SDS/LiF-Al. Morphological, optical and electrochemical analysis were performed to obtain the HOMO and the LUMO energy levels to hypothesize the most efficient device structure. The spectral positions of the electroluminescent bands were found out to be device-dependent and exhibits blue shift when the proposed nanostructure is dip coated on top of P3HT. Electro-optical analysis indicate that the WS₂:SDS based P3HT/semiconductor film can improve the charge recombination probability owing to its dual functionality as hole blocking layer and electron injection moiety.     

Negative differential resistive switching in poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) thin film through electrohydrodynamic atomization

Polymeric negative differential resistive (NDR) switching was explored based on the sandwiched structure of indium titanium oxide (ITO) coated polyethyleneterepthalate(PET)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)/silver(Ag) through electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA) printing technique. The NDR switching in the fabricated device with the structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/Ag was analyzed through semiconductor device analyzer under polarity dependent bipolar sweeping voltage of less than ± 5 V ${\pm} 5~\mathrm{ V}$ . Effect of the current compliance (CC) in the NDR switching of the fabricated switch has been demonstrated. Multiple resistive switching sweeps were taken to scrutinize the robustness of the fabricated device over 100 cycles. The non-volatility of the as-fabricated device was checked against different time stresses over 2500 s. The switching mechanism is proposed to be due to the transition between PEDOT⁺ and PEDOT⁰ chains. The current conduction mechanism involved in the PEDOT:PSS based NDR switches is attributed to the ohmic conduction at lower voltages, while space charge limited conduction and NDR effects were prominent due to the injection of carriers at higher voltages.     

Improving the performance of perovskite solar cells with glycerol-doped PEDOT:PSS buffer layer

In this paper, we investigate the effects of glycerol doping on transmittance, conductivity and surface morphology of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate))(PEDOT:PSS) and its influence on the performance of perovskite solar cells.. The conductivity of PEDOT:PSS is improved obviously by doping glycerol. The maximum of the conductivity is 0.89 S/cm when the doping concentration reaches 6 wt%, which increases about 127 times compared with undoped. The perovskite solar cells are fabricated with a configuration of indium tin oxide(ITO)/PEDOT:PSS/CH_3NH_3PbI_3/PC_(61)BM/Al, where PEDOT:PSS and PC_(61)BM are used as hole and electron transport layers, respectively. The results show an improvement of hole charge transport as well as an increase of short-circuit current density and a reduction of series resistance, owing to the higher conductivity of the doped PEDOT:PSS. Consequently, it improves the whole performance of perovskite solar cell. The power conversion efficiency(PCE) of the device is improved from 8.57% to 11.03% under AM 1.5 G(100 mW/cm~2 illumination) after the buffer layer has been modified.     

KDP/PEDOT:PSS mixture as a new alternative in the fabrication of pressure sensing devices

In this work we studied the mixture of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), a commercial polymer, with monobasic potassium phosphate (KDP), a piezoelectric salt, as a possible novel material in the fabrication of a low cost, easy-to-make, flexible pressure sensing device. The mixture between KDP and PEDOT:PSS was painted in a flexible polyester substrate and dried. Afterwards, I × V curves were carried out. The samples containing KDP presented higher values of current in smaller voltages than the PEDOT:PSS without KDP. This can mean a change in the chain arrays. Other results showed that the material responds to directly applied pressure to the sample that can be useful to sensors fabrication.     

Hybrid solar cells with conducting polymers and vertically aligned silicon nanowire arrays: The effect of silicon conductivity

Organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells, based on vertically aligned n-type silicon nanowires (n-Si NWs) and p-type conducting polymers (PEDOT:PSS), were investigated as a function of Si conductivity. The n-Si NWs were easily prepared from the n-Si wafer by employing a silver nanodot-mediated micro-electrochemical redox reaction. This investigation shows that the photocurrent-to-voltage characteristics of the n-Si NW/PEDOT:PSS cells clearly exhibit a stable rectifying diode behavior. The increase in current density and fill factor using high conductive silicon is attributed to an improved charge transport towards the electrodes achieved by lowering the device's series resistance. Our results also show that the surface area of the nanowire that can form heterojunction domains significantly influences the device performance.